Internship Program
Be brave. Take risks. Nothing can substitute experience.
What Is an Internship?
"Internship" is a MCPS course designed as a career-focused program in research, business, education, law, government, technology, medicine or social services. Students have opportunities to explore and clarify personal career interests and link school to work. Internships enable students to:
- recognize how personal skills and talents fit into a career environment
- form accurate perspectives of what skills and education are needed to be successfully employed and get promoted
- apply academic learning to practical situations and bring new perspectives back to the classroom
- develop effective interpersonal skills for the workplace
Why Do an Internship?
The State of Maryland & MCPS has moved towards ALL students being College & Career Ready. NHS is helping to accomplish this goal by providing students with an experiential learning opportunity. Internships are an important element of the career development process. An internship is not the same as a short-term job; internships have structured learning goals, provide supervision, and offer an experiential learning component.
When Can Students Enroll for Internships?
Internships are year-long (2 semesters) and are usually completed during a student´s senior year. Students may register for triple, double or single period internships depending on the internship.
Students and parents should consider the following questions.
What Should Students Consider When Planning For An Internship?
How many periods can I devote to an internship?- What extracurricular activities might conflict with my internship schedule?
- Can I maintain an excellent attendance record at school and the workplace?
- Am I expecting to work hard and demonstrate a willingness to learn new skills?
- Am I self-disciplined enough to meet project deadlines, complete paperwork, follow procedures, communicate with the intern coordinator, and attend scheduled meetings?
- Can I provide my own transportation or use public transportation to commute to my internship site? Some internship positions are not paid. Interns must assume the expense of commuting.
What Is Expected of an Intern?
Interns will be working in a professional setting and are expected to act professionally. The intern is expected to be punctual, work hard, act responsibly, maintain confidentiality, and to dress appropriately throughout the internship experience. When determining an internship program, a prospective intern needs to evaluate his/her strengths and talents, interests and goals that can be offered to a prospective employer through a professional resume. Final approval of the site rests with the Internship Coordinator.
What Are the Internship Course Requirements?
Interns will be evaluated by the Internship Coordinator using a variety of instruments. The course grade is based on the following:
- coordinator site visit
- completed intern assignments
- the number of hours completed at the workplace (required minimum must be met to receive credit)
- evaluation by mentor/site supervisor
- intern produced projects & assignments
How Many Hours Are Required at the Site?
To satisfy MCPS requirements and receive course credit for an internship, the student must commit to scheduled weekly hours during the school day throughout the semester. For each period registered for internship, the student must complete a minimum of 75 hours per semester at the site.
Fall Semester through Spring semester during school hours:
- i. 3 internship periods = 225 hours per semester in order to pass
- ii. 2 internship periods = 150 hours per semester in order to pass
- iii. 1 internship period = 75 hours per semester in order to pass Time spent commuting to and from the site is not included
What Must Be Considered About The Site?
The following must be considered when searching for an appropriate internship site:
- Work permits are required for interns under 18 years old.
- Some sites require interns to be American citizens and/or over 18 years old.
- The intern must be supervised by an adult at all times.
- The site must have at least two adult employees.
- The site cannot be located in a private home and must be a safe work environment.
Interns may NOT routinely drive as part of the job, open and/or close the business without adult supervision, transport money, perform work that requires strenuous lifting, work in or around motor vehicles or with heavy equipment
How Can I Apply?
Internship applications are due prior to registering for courses: After submitting an application, candidates will be contacted via email for an interview. Once completed application package has been submitted and interview has taken place, students will get approval to register for the internship course. You will need to prepare a resume and cover letter to submit with your application. Help with preparing resume is provided by Mrs. Hecht.
Important Internship Forms
- Internship Application
- Internship Brochure
- Sponsor Handbook
- Parent/Student Contract
- Learning Contract
- MCPS Internship Program Agreement
- Emergency Accident Form
- MSDE Form (Final Sponsor Evaluation)
- Site Visit Evaluation Form